by Linsey Hall
As a Mirror Mage, I could use their magic while I was near them. Or I could store up a little bit to be used later. I’d only have enough for one spell, but that was better than nothing.
I stood and left him where he lay, then crept into the hall, my feet silent on the stone floor. Just because I’d defeated the bulldog and his goons didn’t mean there weren’t other guards lurking.
Quietly, I shut the door behind me, locking them into my cell. If I was lucky, it’d be a while before they woke or any of the other guards found them.
Heart in my throat, I glanced around. The stone hallway was dimly lit with flickering yellow bulbs that hung from bare wires. The prison was old, and the renovation to add electricity had obviously been done with a budget in mind. Heavy wooden doors dotted the hall, each with a small hatch at the bottom for food delivery.
Emile’s cell was at one end, and my belongings were in a room on the other side of the building. We’d agreed that I’d get my stuff first and come back for him. He was no good in a fight, he’d said. I wouldn’t make him risk himself, and if he really was as bad as he’d said, he’d be a liability.
I set off down the hall, sticking close to the wall in case someone appeared. It wouldn’t give me much advantage, but it was all I had.
Every now and again, I’d hear rustling from inside a cell. I couldn’t see into them, but the feeling of the occupant’s repressed magical signature made me shudder. Whoever was locked up here deserved it. This place housed FireSouls and real criminals. Murderers and monsters. I wouldn’t feel bad about not helping them escape.
Footsteps sounded from ahead. I froze, my gaze riveted to where a new hallway joined the one in which I stood. I tried the door handle nearest me, but it didn’t budge.
The hair on my arms stood on end. Shit, shit, shit. There was nowhere to hide.
I reached inside myself for the invisibility gift that I’d taken from one of the guards, shivering as the magic raced over my skin. The damp feeling was still there, which was awful combined with the prison’s chill air.
When I glanced down at myself, all I saw was the stone wall and floor. It’d worked.
And not a moment too soon.
Three guards turned the corner, headed in my direction. They were all big men with squashed-looking faces. Some kind of troll maybe. They each wore a heavy silver bracelet.
So they were big and they had use of whatever magical gift they owned.
I held my breath and pressed myself against the wall as they passed, praying they couldn’t hear the beat of my heart. It thundered so loudly in my ears, I was certain they had to hear it.
The smallest one—who was still a good foot taller than me—hesitated as he passed me, his blunt nose twitching as if he smelled something.
Shit. I hadn’t had a bath in days. If he didn’t smell my magic, he definitely smelled my BO. I was ripe as an avocado left out in the sun.
“Brar? You coming?” one of the other guards asked.
He shook his head as if to clear it, then started walking again, following his friends. “You need to take a shower, Merk,” he said. “You smell like the underside of a hog’s belly.”
Merk laughed, the booming sound echoing off the stone walls.
My heart had climbed all the way up into my throat, making it impossible to breathe. I was so freaked out by his hesitation near me that it took me a moment to realize he’d mistaken my BO for his friend’s. My shoulders nearly sagged in relief as they turned a corner up ahead.
I almost grinned, thanking my awful odor and the lack of bathing facilities in the cell, then continued on, deciding to hold on to the invisibility as long as I could. If I dropped it now, I’d never pick it up again.
I nearly jumped when something tiny scurried in front of me.
Ralph.
He turned and twitched his little pink nose at me, as if he were finding me by scent, then he turned and ran off down the hall.
Thank you, Emile.
My friend must have realized I was trying to escape and sent Ralph to lead me to the room where they stored my stuff.
With Ralph leading the way, I reached the room a few minutes later. Fortunately, I hadn’t run into any more guards.
But there was one sitting at a little desk in the tiny room stuffed full of prisoners’ belongings. The woman had a mean look to her face, with drawn brows and pinched lips.
She looked up when I stepped into the room. Her eyes widened.
“Hey!” She raised a hand as if to shoot me with magic.
My invisibility charm must have run out. I called on the last of the stunning power I’d borrowed from the guard, letting it tingle all the way to my fingertips, and zapped her. She hit the ground before the glittery blue streak of magic faded away.
“Looks like I’m leaving a trail of bodies behind me,” I whispered to Ralph, who ran to one of the shelves and climbed up the side.
I followed him with my gaze, grinning when I spotted my twin obsidian daggers. They’d always been my favorite weapon, though these were replacements from Aidan for the original pair I’d lost.
I grabbed them off the shelf, noting a paper tag that said Prisoner 857. My gaze skated across the shelf full of objects. Other items were tagged with names.
So they really didn’t have my name. Which gave me a temporary reprieve. Thank magic.
Quickly, I searched for my charms. I’d had my comms charm on me when I’d been taken, along with a transport charm and a Penatrist charm. My escape relied on the last two, though I wanted the first one back as well.
I found my comms charm shoved on the back of the shelf, along with the Penatrist charm. I grabbled the golden necklace and the small black rock. Next to them was the wide golden cuff that possessed a dampening charm. I’d worn it to control my massive new power. Until I learned to wield my new magic, I’d need that. I took it, too.
But no matter where I looked, I couldn’t find the transport charm.
There were no other transport charms, either. Victor Orriodor had been hunting and collecting them. Perhaps the shortage had reached even here. Or they stored them elsewhere.
My stomach dropped as I continued to search, growing more and more frantic as I shoved things around on the shelves. The transport charm was my only surefire way out—otherwise we’d have to leave on foot. I wasn’t sure where the Prison for Magical Miscreants was located, but from the cold air that always seeped through the little window in my cell, it was somewhere chilly. And probably remote.
Shit, shit, shit. Changing tactics, I searched for clothes or boots. If I had to run for it, Emile and I would at least need shoes. But it appeared they’d discarded all our clothes and footwear. Those weren’t worth auctioning off, apparently. Apparently they didn’t know what my boots were actually worth.
A shuffling noise sounded from behind me, cutting through my distraction. I stiffened and turned.
Eight guards stood in the doorway.
Trapped.
With no way to escape.
2
A guard threw a stunning spell. The glittery blue magic streaked toward me, and I dodged just in time, throwing myself behind the desk. The woman who’d originally guarded the room was still passed out on the floor. She hadn’t alerted the guards, which meant they’d found the bodies in my cell.
I clutched my daggers, debating my options.
But there was only one option.
Fight.
Even then, I was screwed. Me against eight guards using my limited magic? And the guards were Magica and Shifters, not demons. I didn’t want to kill them.
But I also couldn’t go back to that cell. Not just for my own sake, but for Emile’s. And for my deirfiúr.
This was going to be tough.
“Better get out of here,” I whispered to Rufus. “Don’t want you to get hit in the crossfire.”
The little rat twitched his nose, but didn’t run.
“Suit yourself.” I peered around the side of the desk and flun
g Righty at the guard nearest me. The obsidian flashed in the light as it flew. It thudded into the guard’s thigh, and he stumbled to the ground.
He howled and clutched his leg.
Quickly, I nicked the back of my wrist with Lefty, using my blood to ignite the spell that would call Righty back to me.
Righty pulled itself from the guard’s leg, but before it could fly back to me, another guard snatched it out of the air. He’d moved so fast!
Righty struggled to pull itself free of his grip, but it didn’t work.
A stunning spell crashed into the wall behind me, missing me by a millimeter.
Damn it. My daggers clearly weren’t going to do the job.
I called upon my power, reaching out for the guard’s gift of stunning spells. I got ahold of his magic, which smelled oddly of cleaning products, and peeked out from behind the desk.
When I had a guard in my sight, I threw the stunning spell at him. The glittery blue magic streaked through the air and hit him in the chest. He collapsed like an oak, falling flat onto his face.
“The prisoner has her power!” a guard called. “Shields!”
Shit.
I peeked out, ready to throw another stunning spell, and caught sight of the guards reaching toward their backs and pulling shields out. They must have been holstered back there. I managed to get a stunning spell off and hit one guard in the side before the line of shields appeared in front of them.
They were now an impenetrable line. Maybe I could hit them on their exposed knees, but I wasn’t sure how much good that would do. If I had access to all of my magic, I could create a massive stunning spell to blast through their shields. But I didn’t. There might be a lake of power within me, but I could only sip it out with a straw.
Blasts of magic pounded the desk as they approached, throwing stunning spells. I reached out with my magic, feeling for their signatures. Maybe there was something more useful than stunning spells.
I got a whiff of smoke from a Fire Mage. Nope, no good. This stone prison wouldn’t burn. And even if it did, I couldn’t burn all the prisoners alive. There was an Ice Mage as well. Working with all the elements, here, eh boys?
There were four Shifters, but they were all big animals and none had wings. I didn’t want to shift and make myself a bigger target.
“Prisoner 857, you are surrounded. Come out now.”
Ha. Yeah, okay. I’d put my hands up and come out peacefully.
As if.
I searched the rest of their signatures, trying to find something more useful than stunning, the elements, or shifting.
And found none.
Shit. There was a really good chance I was going to have to go back to my cell. And the bulldog wasn’t going to be nice this time around. Considering that he’d been about to torture me, I didn’t want to know what his not nice was.
Shit, shit, shit.
Ralph squeaked, and I glanced at him. His black eyes were trained on something over my head. I looked up, and my jaw slackened.
A sparkling red dragonet fluttered over my head for just a second before charging the guards. A blue dragonet appeared a half second later. Like the fire dragonet, the water dragonet was the size of a cat. He charged the guards, too.
My heart leapt.
Backup had arrived.
Shouts sounded from the guards. In quick succession, the brown stone dragonet and the gray air dragonet had appeared and charged my enemy.
I hopped to my feet, my obsidian daggers ready to fly.
When I saw my friends gathered behind the guards, throwing potion bombs, my heart felt like it might fly out of my chest. They all wore masks, but it was clear that Del, Nix, Aidan, Connor, and Claire had come to save me.
Brilliant, jewel-toned liquid exploded on the guards’ chests from the potion bombs. The dragonets dive-bombed their heads, knocking them down. It took them only moments to cut down all the guards, who appeared to be passed out.
I was glad they’d chosen non-lethal weapons. Though the guards had planned to put me back in my cell, they hadn’t been out for my death.
“Come on!” Del called. “Let’s get out of here.”
I picked up Ralph and clutched him to my stomach, shielding him, then ran to my friends, jumping over the fallen bodies. I swooped down and grabbed Righty from the hand of the guard who’d caught it, then joined my friends.
I could identify which masked friend was which by their height and eyes, which peered through black ski masks.
“We’ve been dressing up like cat burglars too much lately,” I said.
“For real,” Nix said. “But we need to get out of here.”
“I’ve got to get my friends Emile and Rufus.”
“Lead the way,” Aidan said.
I appreciated that they didn’t question. “This way.”
I led the way down the hall, sprinting full out. We no longer had stealth on our side. Speed was the only way.
When we raced by the door to my cell, it was still closed and locked. Were the bulldog and his goons still inside? I wasn’t going to stop and find out.
A moment later, I skidded to a halt in front of Emile’s cell door. We didn’t have a key, and even though Aidan could probably knock the damned thing down, I didn’t want to make more of a ruckus.
“Any chance you can transport, Del?” I asked.
“No. The prison’s dampening charms are too strong.”
“I’ll try to mirror your gift, then,” I said.
Her brows rose in surprise, but I didn’t bother to explain. I called upon my power, reaching out for Del’s transport gift. Her signature hit me first—the scent of fresh laundry and the feel of grass beneath my feet. When I caught hold of her ability, I grasped onto it and drew it inside myself.
I knocked on the door and yelled, “I’m coming in, Emile!”
I gave him a sec, then teleported into the cell. I almost bumped into Emile, who had his ear pressed to the door. Ralph sat on his shoulder.
“Cass!” he said.
“Come on!” I grabbed his arm and teleported back into the hall, joining my friends. “We’re ready to go.”
“Where’s Ralph?” Aidan asked. “You said you had another friend.”
I pointed to the rat who rode on Emile’s shoulder. “That’s Ralph.” Then I held up Rufus, who I’d been clutching to my stomach. “This is Rufus.”
“Of course you’ve become friends with rats,” Del said.
“Just call me Cinderella.” I glanced down either end of the hall, then looked at my friends “How’d you get in?”
“Through the kitchen delivery door, using the Penatrist charm,” Aidan said. “Follow me.”
We set off running, Aidan leading the way down the hall. The dragonets flew beside us. My heart pounded in my ears, a fierce staccato. Every shadow and tiny noise sounded to me like the guards were coming. The cell doors flashed by as we raced for the exit.
“Right,” Aidan said when we reached a crossroads in the hall.
We turned and ran smack into Merk, Brar, and his buddy. The troll guards I’d passed earlier. Shit.
Their eyebrows popped up in surprise, but before they could raise the alarm, the dragonets charged them. The stone dragonet slammed into Merk’s ugly face, knocking him over, while the air dragonet plowed into Brar, a mini cyclone of wind that threw him into the wall. His big head thunked against it and he collapsed.
The water dragonet splashed against the face of the last troll. As he was choking on water, Aidan stepped forward and punched him square in the face. His eyes rolled back in his ugly head, and he fell onto his back, crashing against the ground.
“Nice one,” I said as I checked to make sure they were all passed out. They were. Good.
Aidan shook out his fist. “I’ve had some pent up aggression since you were taken.”
The dragonets fluttered around my head.
“Thanks, guys.”
They nodded their little heads, and we continued on, racing down t
he hall, our footsteps nearly silent.
“Almost there,” Del whispered.
When the hall spilled into a large kitchen, I almost laughed in relief. We were so close.
The collapsed body of the cook and a guard were tied up and gagged near the stove. The cook, who I recognized by his dirty apron, shifted at the sound of our entrance. His gaze traveled to us, widening at the sight of our group. He thrashed, trying to send up the alert any way he could.
We ignored him, heading straight for a heavy wooden door.
“Don’t touch the handle or it’ll burn right through your hand,” Aidan said.
He didn’t need to tell me twice. I could feel the protection charm sparking against my skin from feet away. It felt like bee stings, and I wanted to swat at my skin to make them go away. It’d do no good, though.
Aidan stepped toward the door. “The protection charms on the door are too strong for my spell stripper. But we can get through one at a time with the Penatrist charms.”
Thank magic we’d taken them from Victor’s demons. A spell stripper would remove the protection from the door entirely, as long as it wasn’t too strong. Penatrist charms were for the big guns, like this. They didn’t remove the protection charm, but they’d allow one person through.
Aidan gave the charm he’d pulled out of his pocket to Emile, and I shoved mine into Claire’s hand. “Go!”
Her brows shot up. “What about you?”
“No way I’m leaving first,” I said. “Anyway, I can access some of my power, so it’s best I stay behind in case guards show up. Now go!”
Emile and Claire gripped the charms in their hands and turned to the door. Claire grasped the handle and pulled it open, showing no sign of pain upon touching it.
It swung open easily, revealing a vast white tundra. I shivered. Claire and Emile stepped out, followed by the dragonets, who had no problem crossing the threshold without charms. On the other side, they disappeared, returning to wherever they had come from.
Claire turned around and thrust her hand back through the doorway. Emile did the same. Connor and Nix reached out and took the charms, both of them shuddering visibly when their hands neared the door.
